Missal holder



Sept. 1, 1964 E. J. GORTH, SR

MISSAL HOLDER Filed Dec. 15, 1962 ATTORNEY United States Patent3,146,986 MISSAL HOLDER Edward Joseph Gorth, Sr., 1741 SW. 37th Way,Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Filed Dec. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 244,392 2 Claims.(Cl. 248-447) This invention relates to a holder for missals or otherbooks, such as prayer books, hymnals, other religious books or secularbooks as may be desired.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of a holder of thischaracter which may be readily affixed to a pew back or other similarobject so as to hold the missal or other book in position where it maybe readily read without the necessity for the use of the hands.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a holder ofthis nature, of convenient size provided with means for holding thefront and rear covers of a missal in open position, and provided withmeans permitting its attachment to a pew back or the like in suchposition as to be readily observed by the user leaving the hands freefor other devotional purposes.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of thischaracter having means in the back which are spring biased to clamp thedevice to a pew or the like, and which fold flush with the back of theholder when not in use.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangementsof parts, and features of construction. Still other objects will in partbe obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of theinvention proceeds and shown in the accompanying drawing wherein thereis disclosed a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the open missal cover or holder inposition for use on the back of a pew.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the back of the missal cover positionedon a flat surface in open position with the clamping means retracted.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail perspective view showing an edge of oneof the clamping members.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a modified form ofconstruction.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail exploded perspective viewshowing a constructional detail, and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the missal holder in use by aworshipper.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, the missal holder of theinstant invention is generally indicated at It and comprises a pair ofsubstantially identical but reversed missal cover members 11, each ofwhich includes a back plate 12 which may be suitably ornamented as at 13(see FIG. 2) on its outer side, and which is provided on its inner sidewith an end flange 14 and a pair of side flanges 15, from which side andend flanges extend internal projecting securing flanges 16 and 17, thesecuring flanges being spaced from the sheet 12 to an extent sufiicientto permit the insertion of the front and rear covers of a missalthereunder. A back section 18 of a width to accommodate the back of amissal is provided between the portions 11 and includes a center piece19 which may be suitably ornamented as at 20 on its inner side, or whichmay be plain, and which is provided at each end and preferably beneaththe ornamental covering 20 with a pair of plates 21 suitably securedthereto as by rivets 22, from the outer extremity of which projects apin 23. Each pin 23 engages in an opening 24 in an elongated plate 25,being suitably secured therein as by peening or swaging or the like, theopposite end of each plate being secured as by screws or rivets 26 tothe adjacent side edge flange 15 of a cover sheet, the arrangement thusbeing such that each front and rear cover is hingedly connected to theback 18 so that it may fold and completely enclose the book when not inuse.

The rear of back section 18 is provided with an elongated recess 27,into which fold a pair of clamping plates 18, each of which is mountedon a hinge pin 29 adjacent ine end of the recess. A coil spring 30surrounds each linge pin 29 and has one end 31 thereof secured beneath aretaining strip 32 carried by the inner side of each clamping member orplate 28 and the other end 33 thereof secured behind a retaining strip34 interiorly of recess 27, the springs being so arranged as normally tobias clamping members 28 inwardly toward the recess to hold the same infolded position when not employed for clamping purposes.

The end portion of each clamping member or plate 28 is reverted as at 35and rounded, with its outer surface being roughened or serrated asindicated at 36 in FIG. 4 for engaging beneath the rim 37 of the top 38of a pew back 39. The arrangement is thus such that when in use theclamping plates 28 are spread to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 andengaged on opposite sides of the pew back 39 beneath the outwardlyprojecting portions of the top rail 38 securely to clamp the holder 10in substantially horizontal position as indicated. Thus, as shown inFIG. 7, the hands H of the worshipper W are left free except whenactually turning the pages of the missal M. Either of the cover portions11 may be raised as desired to facilitate turning the leaves of themissal, or the device may be left flat and open to a particular page asindicated in FIG. 1.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided animproved book holder particularly adapted for the holding of missals orsimilar religious books on pew backs, which facilitates the use of thesame and which permits the worshipper full freedom of hands, and whichmay be positioned so as to be most readily visible when the worshipperis in kneeling position.

The arrangement of FIG. 4 may be modified as shown in FIG. 5, wherein aplate or leg 28a is provided with an acutely angled inwardly extendingflange 35a which terminates in the slightly rounded end 36a. This lattermodification is particularly adapted for certain types of pews onlywherein there is a relatively deep rim indentation 37. The modificationof FIG. 4 however may be readily adapted to a relatively wide variety ofwidths, sizes and shapes of pew backs, and further facilitates thefolding of the plates 28 to flat position when not in use.

The cover may be retained permanently on the missal, or may be removedtherefrom as desired.

While in the foregoing the device of the instant invention has beendescribed as particularly adapted to the holding of religious books suchas missals or the like, it will be readily understood that the same maybe employed as a book holder in any situation where such is desirable.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as manymodifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to beinterpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A portable book holder comprising a back portion, front and rear bookcover portions hingedly secured thereto, end and side flanges on theinner side of each of said cover portions and spaced therefrom adaptedfor the reception of the front and rear covers of a book, a

pair of clamping plates hingedly secured to the ends of the outer sideof said back portion, and spring means biasing said plates inwardlytoward the center of said back portion thereby clampingly and releasablyto engage a vertical supporting member such as a pew back, the outerside of said back portion being provided with a recess into which saidplates fold in flush relation when not in use, the end of each clampingplate being rounded and provided with friction means for releasablyholding the same beneath an enlargement on the top end of a pew back.

2. A portable book holder comprising a back portion, front and rear bookcover portions hingedly secured thereto, end and side flanges on theinner side of each of said cover portions and spaced therefrom adaptedfor the reception of the front and rear covers of a book, a pair ofclamping plates hingedly secured to the ends of the outer side of saidback portion, and spring means biasing said plates inwardly toward thecenter of said back portion thereby clampingly and releasably to engagea vertical supporting member such as a pew back,

the outer side of said back portion being provided with a recess intowhich said plates fold in flush relation when not in use, each end ofthe back portion having a pair of pins projecting therefrom, a platehaving an aperture therein being secured to the side of each coverportion, one pin of each pair engaging in an aperture in the adjacentplate and being secured therein to provide means hingedly securing saidcover portions to said back portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS983,930 Lederman July 21, 1908 1,862,562 Aldeen et a1. June 14, 19321,911,823 Harrison May 30, 1933 2,547,966 Paden Apr. 10, 1951 2,797,973Culpepper July 2, 1957 3,060,606 Peach Oct. 30, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS709,600 Great Britain May 26, 1954

1. A PORTABLE BOOK HOLDER COMPRISING A BACK PORTION, FRONT AND REAR BOOKCOVER PORTIONS HINGEDLY SECURED THERETO, END AND SIDE FLANGES ON THEINNER SIDE OF EACH OF SAID COVER PORTIONS AND SPACED THEREFROM ADAPTEDFOR THE RECEPTION OF THE FRONT AND REAR COVERS OF A BOOK, A PAIR OFCLAMPING PLATES HINGEDLY SECURED TO THE ENDS OF THE OUTER SIDE OF SAIDBACK PORTION, AND SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID PLATES INWARDLY TOWARD THECENTER OF SAID BACK PORTION THEREBY CLAMPINGLY AND RELEASABLY TO ENGAGEA VERTICAL SUPPORTING MEMBER SUCH AS A PEW BACK, THE OUTER SIDE OF SAIDBACK PORTION BEING PROVIDED WITH A RECESS INTO WHICH SAID PLATES FOLD INFLUSH RELATION WHEN NOT IN USE, THE END OF EACH CLAMPING PLATE BEINGROUNDED AND PROVIDED WITH FRICTION MEANS FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING THE SAMEBENEATH AN ENLARGEMENT ON THE TOP END OF A PEW BACK.